Chapter 968
Chapter 968
If the imperial court wants to regain control of the Nurgan Regional Military Commission, it needs to send an envoy who is courageous, resourceful, and has the courage to act as its envoy.
After thinking for a long time, Yu Qian finally suggested selecting people from the Imperial Academy: "Let them go to gain experience and spread the teachings, and select some children from the tribes to study in the capital, learn my Confucian thought, and they can bring peace to their places when they return."
Cao Nai rolled his eyes without any politeness and said, "Send students over? To their deaths?"
“Then select someone from the Imperial Guard to escort them,” Yu Qian said. “Commander Pan Yu was not only a student of the Imperial Academy, but also the son of Pan Hong, the Vice Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies. He has also made meritorious contributions on the battlefield. He can be the head of the delegation and escort the students over.”
Cao Nai paused, seemingly lost in thought.
The ministers fell silent.
Pan Yu ah~~
Zhu Qiyu hesitated, then asked softly, "Wouldn't it be too dangerous?"
Yu Qian asked seriously, "Who would be safe to send?"
Wang Ji said, "Military officers always risk their lives; how can they not be in danger?"
Yu Qian stared intently at Zhu Qiyu and asked, "Does Your Majesty wish to consult the Imperial Advisor before making a decision?"
Zhu Qiyu stiffened, his mind instantly clearing, and immediately said, "Alright, then it's decided on Pan Yu. Let the cabinet draft the decree."
The courtiers all breathed a sigh of relief; it seemed that the emperor did not rely on the imperial advisor for everything.
Once the imperial edict was delivered to the army, the Ministry of Revenue also prepared gifts and rewards for the Jurchens as quickly as possible. Pan Yun didn't say a word, focusing all her attention on her belongings. The court officials breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that the Grand Preceptor wasn't involved in everything.
The wariness that had arisen from Pan Yun's forceful proposal to investigate military affairs lessened slightly.
Pan Yun went to the Ministry of Works during the day and stargazed at night. It wasn't until Pan Yu was about to leave and the army gave him half a day's leave to say goodbye to his family that she quietly appeared at the Pan family home.
Even the Imperial Guards who were closely watching her failed to notice this.
If she wanted to, no one could keep an eye on her.
Pan Honggang dug a jar of wine out of the ground. When he turned around, he saw someone standing behind him. His legs went weak and he almost fell to the ground.
Pan Yun quickly reached out to support him, saying, "Father, please be careful."
Pan Hong said irritably, "Was it my fault for being careless? You're the one who scared me!"
Pan Yun touched her nose.
Pan Hong nervously looked up at the roof.
Pan Yun said, "The Embroidered Uniform Guards also need to eat, use the toilet, and sleep. There's no one watching them right now."
Pan Hong breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly carried the wine back into the house: "Come in quickly, come in quickly. Your eldest and second brothers are in the kitchen. They didn't know you were coming. I'll ask your eldest brother to make another fish dish."
Pan Yun loves eating fish the most.
Pan Yu's voice came from the kitchen: "Where am I supposed to buy fresh fish at a time like this? And not grass carp or common carp, I..."
Pan Yu walked past complainingly, but when she saw Pan Yun standing inside the door, she took two steps back and turned her head to meet her gaze.
Pan Yun winked at him.
Pan Yu turned and walked away, saying, "I'll go buy it right now!"
There was chicken, duck, mutton, pork, and fish; the meal was as plentiful as if it were Chinese New Year.
Pan Yue poured the warmed wine for his father, younger brother, and younger sister, and said with a smile, "I knew you would come back, so I let the maid rest yesterday."
Pan Yu muttered to himself, "No wonder you listed fish on the menu..." Pan Yue glared at him, "But you didn't buy any."
“It’s not that I didn’t want to buy any, but when I went to buy them it was already noon, and there was no fish for sale at the market. I don’t like eating fish, it’s all bones. I thought that we already had enough vegetables, so I came back.” Pan Yu smiled ingratiatingly at Pan Jun: “Luckily I managed to buy some earlier. I specially picked out silverfish, little sister, have a taste.”
Pan Yun took out a cloth bag and pushed it to him: "Second brother, these are the things I prepared for you. You know how to use them, so take them with you."
Pan Yu happily accepted the money and asked, "Did you tell my fortune? Will this trip be auspicious or inauspicious?"
Pan Yun: "It was a close call, but we must proceed with caution."
Pan Yu: "That means things didn't go very smoothly. That's true. The Jurchen tribes have always been close to the Oirats. If Esen hadn't rebelled and declared himself Khan, and since he's not of the Golden Family bloodline, the Jurchens would definitely be on their side."
Pan Jun: "The world is bustling with people coming and going for profit. Second brother, you can't make such a judgment about the Jurchens. If you want to control the Nurgan Regional Military Commission, you have to win over the various Jurchen tribes. And to win them over, you have to find a way to make their people benefit from the Ming Dynasty."
Pan Yu blinked: "A reward from the imperial court?"
Pan Yue said, "How much can the imperial court reward us? Besides, the court officials have always been dissatisfied with the generous rewards. Such rewards can be given once or twice, but not three times."
Pan Hong also said, "You need to find a suitable ally with the Jurchens. Grand Secretary Yu asked you to bring students from the Imperial Academy with you. This is to let them learn about and identify with our Han culture. Only when the culture is unified can we achieve true unity."
Pan Yu scratched his head, looking distressed: "I didn't do well in school, so why would the court choose me to do something like this?"
Pan Yun said, "Second brother, poor grades don't mean you can't do things well. I also think you are very suitable, which is why I didn't say a word when the court decided to appoint you."
Pan Yu: "Am I really suitable?"
Pan Yun nodded and affirmed, "You're perfect for it."
Pan Yu became smug and patted his chest, saying, "Alright, since you say I'm suitable, then I'll go!"
Seeing that he had become more confident, Pan Hong picked up his chopsticks and said with a smile, "Eat up, let's chat while we eat."
Pan Yu: "Father, eldest brother, little sister, each of you is smarter than me. While I'm still here, can you help me think of a way to entice them to come and learn our culture?"
After thinking for a moment, Pan Hong said, "Exchange markets! Establish exchange points to trade goods and services. Since they rely on our products, they will naturally feel closer to us."
Pan Yue: "We also need to establish outposts, and it would be best to send troops there. It's not enough to just have advantages; we also need to have authority."
Pan Yun: "By taking advantage of the land, we can teach them to tame their land and profit from it. This profit will not only benefit them, but also us."
The father and his two sons looked at Pan Yun together: "Taming the land?"
Pan Jun nodded: "Nurgan Commandery is a vast and sparsely populated area; it's a treasure trove."
Pan Hong: "That's a harsh, cold place, where would you find any treasures?"
“The land south of Nurgan Regional Military Commission is fertile, but it is useless because it has not been tamed. Once tamed, it can become a grain-producing area,” Pan Jun said. “And to the north, there are not only diamond mines and coal mines, but also oil.”
Pan Yue: "I know about diamonds and coal, but what is oil?"
Pan Yun said, "It's the same as coal, but it will be more efficient in its use."
Pan Yue: "To start a fire?"
Pan Hong: "But coal fires are extremely prone to producing toxic gases. For many years, neither the imperial court nor the people have had an effective way to remove the toxic gases."
Therefore, even though the imperial court knew that the black stones could be used to start a fire and keep warm, it did not encourage the people to use them.
It wasn't widely used by ordinary people either. (End of Chapter)